Running Head: DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION 1

Pros and Cons of Differentiated Instruction

Andrew Smith

EDU 382

Instructor Wall

April 19, 2023

Pros and Cons of Differentiated Instruction 2

Pros and Cons of Differentiated Instruction

Differentiated instruction is not a new method of teaching. It has been around in some

form or another for years, even in the old one-room school houses. There would only be one, or

possibly a few, teachers, and they would have to teach children from many ages with different

levels of readiness and ability, so differentiation was a must. Then, for a long time, the use

differentiation subsided, and teachers would teach to the middle of the class. This means that for

the students who need extra help, do not always receive it, and the students who may need more

of a challenge, would not be challenged. Therefore, only a portion of the class would be truly

successful. When teachers use differentiation, the students who need extra help can get the

assistance they need, and the students who need a challenge to keep them interested in the work,

can be challenged so they do not become bored and restless.

Differentiation is not just another educational fad, it is a method of instruction that is

helpful to learners of all strengths and abilities. It allows them to focus on their strengths, while

also strengthening their weaknesses. Classmates can be teamed up with others who have

complimentary abilities, so students who may not be as strong with reading, or another learning

style, can work with others who can help, and vice versa with other areas of learning. “The

rationale for differentiated instruction comes from theory, research and common sense,” (Mauro,

n.d., Par. 3). The research that contributes to this theory of differentiated instruction comes from

a number of sources. “Research suggests that students are more successful when taught in ways

that are responsive to their individual readiness levels (Vygotsky, 1978, 1986), interests

(Csikszentmihalyi, 1990; Maslow, 1962), learning profiles (Sternberg, Torff, & Grigorenko,

1998), and motivational catalysts (Hertzberg, 1959),” (Differentiated instruction: A review of the

literature, n.d., Par. 3).

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Differentiated instruction is different from other methods of instruction because it does

not focus on just one or two learning styles, and it gives students choices about the work they

will be doing. Most instruction will utilize one or two learning styles, and have a set method of

instruction. Basically, it is trying to teach all the students the same material in the same way.

With differentiated instruction, the teacher utilizes more learning styles, the ones that correspond

with their students’ preferences, the type of work is differentiated so that students can use their

strengths, and the method of evaluation can be altered so that it can demonstrate what the

students have gained from the material and lesson. If we only use one form of instruction, work,

and evaluation, then we will lose some of our students because not all students will share the

same knowledge, strengths, and abilities. If we differentiate, teachers can gain a more complete

perspective on their students’ learning.

In response to parents about their children being a “regular” student, teachers must

explain that all children are different, with different abilities, different strengths and weaknesses,

different background knowledge, and many other contributing factors that must be taken into

account. All classrooms are full of diverse students. Some students will prefer one method of

instruction over another (reading vs. kinesthetic), some may have different levels of proficiency

with English, some may need extra assistance, and others may need an extra challenge to

encourage them to try their best. Therefore, with all of the differences between students,

differentiated instruction is a great tool to help teach to all of our students.

All students will benefit from differentiation. With differentiation, the teacher recognizes

that all students will not learn the same way, and some will learn better through different types of

lessons and materials. Plus, students can be grouped so that they can help each other. For

instance, a student in the gifted category can be placed with a student who needs extra help, and

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they can both benefit. The student who needs extra help will get the help, and probably a

different explanation of the material than from the teacher, which could help clarify things by

providing a wider perspective, and the gifted student will cement their learning, and help transfer

it to long-term memory by teaching it to another student.

All students have areas where they excel, and some where they could use some

improvement. Differentiation allows these students to benefit from each other. It also helps

students with special needs to benefit by teaching them at a pace and level they can work with.

“The intent of differentiating instruction is to maximize each student's growth and individual

success by meeting each student where he or she is and assisting in the learning process,”

(Mauro, n.d., Par. 2). Because differentiation focuses on complimenting students’ strengths and

weaknesses, flexible grouping is common and special needs students to not get stuck in one

specific group. In fact, they become an important part of their groups because the groups are

based on the students’ strengths so that they can assist each other in the learning process (Mauro,

n.d).

The main negative drawback of differentiation is the time in which it takes the teacher to

prepare the materials, projects, and evaluations that come with differentiated instruction. When a

teacher has multiple classes, it can become overwhelming to differentiate material for the 90-120

students they may see. The differentiation of the assignments can also be considered a

drawback. Because these assignments are typically geared toward one learning preference

(writing, artistic, etc.), students may stick to those types of assignments and not work on

strengthening their weaker abilities, for instance writing a research paper, or giving a public

presentation. One more negative aspect can be found in the group projects. In groups,

sometimes the high-achieving students are made to do all the work, or the majority of it, while

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the others goof off. “So, with advanced students doing easier assignments and weaker students

tending to let their group-mates do most of the work, Differentiation Instruction is not the

academic plus that it is heralded as,” (Bennett, 2012, Par. 21).

It is true that in order to successfully differentiate, there is a lot of extra work involved.

However, the teacher’s job is to educate their students to the best of their abilities and to work

with them in order for them to become successful learners.

It seems like so much work for the teacher to differentiate- can you comment on this idea?

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References

Bennett, J. (2012, February 1). OP-ED: Differentiated instruction: Easier in theory than in

practice. Retrieved from http://southorange.patch.com/groups/opinion/p/

differentiated-instruction-easier-in-theory-than-in-practice

Differentiated instruction: A review of the literature. (n.d.). Retrieved July 21, 2013, from

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?

q=cache:e_Ek9iu5eN0J:merc.soe.vcu.edu/Briefs/Sherman%2520final

%2520report.doc+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client= firefox-a

Gregory, G. & Chapman, C. (2013). Differentiated instructional strategies: One size doesn’t fit

all (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Ltd./Corwin Press.

Mauro, T. (n.d.). Differentiating instruction. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from

http://specialchildren.about.com/od/inclusion/a/differentiated.htm